AASM: Define Alert(s)

Adaptive Service Management: Define Alert(s)

The Define Consumable Alert page displays allows the user to define new alert definitions and edit existing ones (both Consumable and Service Alerts).

The page may only be accessed by Administrators and Admin Dealers Users with appropriate Admin Features access from the main Alerts -> Create Alert Definition. For modifying an existing alert definition the user will first search for it (via Alert Hierarchy page) and then click on the edit link (in the same page).

This page allows the user to create, enable/disable, edit and delete an Alert Definition.

In top of page there are two tabs allowing the user to create/modify a Consumable or a Service Alert Definition.

Consumable Alert Definition

In order to define a new Consumable Alert Definition, you must define the range of devices, the parameters that specify what consumable level will trigger the alert, and the actions to be invoked when the alert is triggered or becomes overdue.

The first section is defined by selecting the following information:

Select Dealer: the dealer the devices belongs to. This is selectable from a combo tree-view containing only the accounts in logged-in dealer hierarchy;

If the current dealer selected in combo tree-view has no Action Handler Settings defined for selected Action Result Type, an error message is displayed along with a link to Action Handler Settings page. If there are missing Action Handler Settings, the user will not be able to save the alert definition.

Apply to entire dealer hierarchy: whether or not to apply to the entire dealer hierarchy or just the level of the selected dealer account;

Ignore Frequencies and Process Immediately: whether or not to Ignore the Frequencies History for each Alert's Action Type and Processes the Alert the first time the ASM Engine Starts. Note that this flag is only considered once, then reset.;

Consumable Type: the consumable that will initiate the defined actions when the remaining value will be reached;

Alert Min: value of the selected consumable that will trigger the alert;

Overdue Alert: time period till the alert will be considered overdue;

Stale Date: time period till the alert will expire (Stale Date) measured from the time the alert will be overdue;

Filters section helps user to establish the set of devices the alert will be applied to. A filter has three parts and an additional operator used to link filters together.
- Apply to: if the alert will be applied to managed, unmanaged or all the devices of the selected dealer;
- Filtered Method: is an additional way of narrowing the devices range. It specifies which additional device attribute should be checked;

The Filtered Method options are dynamically updated as the user proceeds to define the filter, i.e. for non-managed devices the user cannot choose Contract or Contract type for the filter method.

If you choose Daily Average Volume or Monthly Average Volume a warning is displayed advising you to configure and run the Calculated Value Task to ensure every device has these values populated.

- Method Value: allows the user to specify the effective value of Filtered Method;

The Method Value option displays only relevant valid values from the database.

- Operator: can have one of these values: AND, OR, AND NOT. By specifying an operator the user will actually create an additional filter. By logically composing these filters the application will establish a set of devices. The consumable alert definition will be applied to this set of devices.

Virtually any number of filters can be defined, but many filters may affect the loading time of the page. Therefore, a maximum value of 10 filters is recommended.

After specifying the values for filtering the target devices the second section fields may be optionally populated:

Description: description of the Consumable Alert Definition;

Proposed Resolution(s): proposed resolutions to resolve the triggered consumable alert;

Knowledge Base Link: link pointing to a knowledge base article from an online help system;

The third and last section defines what actions to perform when the alert is triggered. It's possible to define any number of actions but the recommended value is 10. At least one action (#1) is required.

Action 1: this action is required and can be performed immediately or held for approval before performing the action. The action to perform may be one of the following:

Ignore: the action will be ignored;

Dealer Email: Customizable email that is dealer facing. The email includes specifics on the Account, Contact information, device information, location, etc. and the Consumable Alert information, i.e. what consumable, level remaining, etc. This should be used primarily as an escalation option, i.e. if the consumable alert was already submitted to the dealers Just-In-Time-Supply system but the overdue period has been reached, however, it may be used as the method to identify new consumable alerts, rather than checking the Active Alerts grid. This option may also be used in an end-user scenario;

If the dealer has no valid email address for Dealer Primary Contact of type Admin an error is displayed with a link to Edit Main Dealer page in order to configure the email address for the selected dealer and for Dealer Primary Contact of type Admin.

Customer Courtesy Email: Customizable email that is end-user facing. The email includes specifics on the Account, Contact information, device information, location, etc. and the Consumable Alert information, i.e. what consumable, level remaining, etc;

Since the Customer Courtesy Email is intended only for customers owning non-managed devices, an error message will be shown if the user selects managed devices and then Customer Courtesy Email as an action result.

Just in time supply email quote: An email is sent to the customer and includes a customized message, the dealers cost of the consumable and an option to place the order with the dealer and have the consumable drop-shipped from the dealers’ supplier. Package label will include specifics on which device, location, etc. the consumable is intended for, plus the user contact information that placed the order;

Just in time supply email order: An order is sent direct to the dealers’ supplier. The information includes recipient’s contact information and address, devices specifics, location, etc. It’s recommended that an ERP Sales Invoice is configured to simultaneous submit;

SMS Text Briefing Message: A Short Text Message (SMS) is sent to the Phone Number configured on the Contact selected in Action Handler Settings page.

If there is no Phone Number for the configured Contact or the SMS sending fails from whatever reason, an email is sent to the Dealer Primary Contact of type Admin;

First action can be defined as 'No intervention' (it will be automatically fired) or 'Requires approval' (the dealer will be asked to approve it).

Subsequent actions: these actions are optional, and they can be added by clicking on 'Add new Action' link. Additionally they can be performed simultaneously, or when the Overdue Alert period has lapsed; the list of actions to perform are the same as for Action 1 above. Also these additional actions can be defined as 'Requires Approval'.
Subsequent actions can also be deleted by clicking on

icon.
For each action it is possible to override the settings defined in Actions Behavior page. If the action is type 'Requires Approval' the user can also override the settings for the email approval. By clicking on

the user will override the settings for action behavior and by clicking on

it is possible to override the settings for approval email behavior, using the following interface:

By clicking on 'Apply' button the user will create a new Action Behavior that will override the default settings and the correponding icon will be highlighted (from gray to color:

).
Clicking on 'Reset' will load the default setting from database. 'Cancel' will close the panel.
Please note that it's possible to override Approval Email Behavior only for that actions that requires approval.

Email selected actions may be ungrouped, grouped by consumable name and value, or manufacturer plus consumable name and value, i.e. the alerts will be grouped first by parameter name and then by parameter value; if there are some Consumable Alert Definitions for Toner 5%, some for Toner 10%, some for Fuser 2% and all these alerts have actions that will send emails to the same address then the recipient will receive only 3 emails.mails.

Service Alert Definition

Creating a new Service Alert Definition is similar with creating a Consumable Alert definition following the same logic: you must define the range of devices, the parameters that specify which printer errors will trigger the alert, and the actions to be invoked when the alert is triggered or becomes overdue.

The differences are:

- Triggers area: the printer errors that will trigger the alert are grouped in 4 major areas: Device, Supply, Paper and Trays. Checking one of these the Console message becames active allowing the user to filter for this information too.

Notes:

The Printer errors are connected with logical OR but the Console filter is connected with AND. For example, defining a Service Alert with No paper and Low toner checked and Console message containing "black" will create an alert that will be fired: 1) when the device reports No paper AND console message contains "black" PLUS 2) when the device reports Low toner AND console message contains "black".

- The Service Alerts are not processed based on a frequency but imediatelly the data is available from device and the ASM engine process it;

- The only actions permited when the alert triggers are: Service Alert email, ASM XML Sync and Ignore;

- The only allowed grouping of alerts per email is "Manufacturer, Model, Serial number"

After selecting the options above, click on the Save button to save the alert definition. When this process is invoked, Central will check if there are adequate Action Handler Settings. For example, if a Customer Courtesy Email is selected, there must be Action Handler Settings defined for custom email or/and alternate account contact. If editing an existing alert, it may be temporarily disabled or it may be deleted.

Additional Notes:

If any action includes an email to be sent, the accounts in the selected dealer hierarchy will be checked to ensure a valid email address is available. If not, a warning message is displayed along with a link to Alerts Processing Behavior page.

If a filter is defined for managed devices, specifically for an account with an action specified as an email with Action Handler Settings defined for Alternate Account Contact or Custom Email and these settings do not belong to one of the selected Accounts (Filter Value) or selected Dealer Contacts then a warning message will be shown.

An error message will be shown if you select non-managed devices and any of the results of actions is Customer Courtesy Email and the defined Action Handler Settings for Alternate Account Contact or Custom Email have values that are not among the selected Account or selected Dealer contacts.